Okay, in my opinion, they are the best band of the 90s. Every song they've written is good (yeah, even 'Tales of a Scorched Earth' is okay ^^)
I love their style, which variated pretty much with every album they put out. Some people dissed them because their musical stylings on 'Adore' were different from 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadeness'. My answer is, 'So what!? Since when did they have the same sound on any of their CDs?'
In my opinion, they're best album was Machina, they're official last CD (besides the 'Internet Only' Machina 2). It was just their weird themes and awesome guitar and percussion that made me enjoy that album more than any of their other albums, though every other album by them is also excellent.
Also, has anyone else heard Zwan? They're pretty good. They sound a lot like the Pumpkins (since Billy is on vocals and Jimmy is on drums), but a lot lighter with a lot less angst. I'm sure I'd like their songs a lot more if I had more than a crappy live bootleg I got off Ebay.

Lesse, they were good for a while, but they really REALLY fucked up by waiting 4 years to put down a new album after MCiS - MCiS was pretty good, but I wouldn't rank it up there with AMAZING. I couldn't listen to most of the second disc. Tales of a Scorched Earth was one of my favorite songs off that Album, right behind Muzzle.

Adore was actually pretty enjoyable for me. It doesn't get too much playing time in any of my machines, but it's still around.

Machina.. one word: Blech. It sucked so bad. Corgan was barely audiable, the lyrics were waaaaay too complex, and it wasn't something you could easily (or even with a lot of practice, really) sing along to. I despised that album.

The end is The Beginning is The End and The Beginning is the End is the Beginning were 2 amazing songs, as was Eye that I wish they would have built Adore around. I think it would have been a huge smash if they went that direction, and they probably still would have been around if they would have gone back to a Siamese Dream style when they got Jimmy back. *shrugs*

Ploink! Magic Cupcake! <a href="http://www.elvenking.net">Elvenking</a>. I'm sorry, I can't hear you over how awesome I am.

I'm not exactly sure which one album I like more. It's really close between Adore and Machina.

Machina had multiple good tracks: "the everlasting gaze," "raindrops and sunshowers," "wound," "the imploding voice" and my favorite "tand inside your love." I can see how some could have been rated less, but I really like it.

I never really got any of the Machina 2 tracks. Wasnt really sure where I could get them or what Machina 2 really was upuntil this point. I think ill try and track down some of the song listings so i can download them.

Yeah, Billy Corgan's voice isn't the greatest, but it gets the job done. I think he really improved his voicework on 'Adore' though, which he should have since nearly every song on that album is a ballad. And ballads don't usually work unless the vocals are good.

Machina 2 is pretty good. However, it's mostly just b-sides from Machina and a few of the songs from it can be found on the second disc of their 'Greatest Hits' CD.
Some songs, however, are some of the best the pumpkins ever produced. If you want to go hunting down the Mp3s, I'd reccommend these songs the most (though I'd also highly reccommend the whole CD ^^):

Saturnine (The version on the 'Greatest Hits' CD is different for the Machina 2 version)
Slow Dawn
Cash Car Star (there are two different versions on the album and they're both really good)
Vanity
Let Me Give the World to You
Home
Here's to the Atom Bomb

Anyway, I have a copy of their MV collection on DVD and it is MARVELOUS! They really have some excellent videos.
Another cool thing about the DVD is that you get commentary plus outakes/documentaries on the videos.
Even if you aren't a Smashing Pumpkins fan I'd reccommend this DVD. Only if you don't want to see some excellent video art, I'd stay away.